Genre: Drama/History
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Cast: Francesco Scianna, Margareth Madè, Giorgio Faletti, Leo Gullotta, Monica Bellucci, Raoul Bova, Enico Lo Verso (II), Michele Placido, Angela Molina
RunTime: 2 hrs 28 mins
Released By: Shaw
Rating: M18 (Scene of Intimacy and Some Nudity)
Official Website:

Opening Day: 10 June 2010

Synopsis:

An amusing and wistful story of great passions and passionate utopian dreams. A legend thronged with heroes … A Sicilian family depicted across three generations: from Cicco to his son Peppino to his grandson Pietro… Touching lightly upon the private lives of these characters and their families, the film evokes the loves, dreams and disappointments of an entire community in the Palermo province from the 1930s up to the 1980s: during the Fascist period, Cicco is a humble shepherd who, however, finds time to pursue his passion: books, epic poems, the great popular romance novels. In the days when people went hungry and during World War II, his son Peppino witnesses injustice and discovers a passion for politics. After the war, his fateful encounter with the woman of his life. A relationship opposed by one and all because Peppino has become a Communist. But the two young lovers will succeed in fulfilling their dream.

Movie Review:

Baaria, the opening movie to the prestigious 66nd Venice International Film Festival (2009), might sound intimidating and impressive to most, but only on the surface. Let’s find out why.

First up: in a nutshell, the movie follows a small, innocuous Sicilian family across three generations. The Torrenuova clan is made out of a line of Sicilian shepherds, and the story focuses on Cicco, an unexpected romantic at heart and a voracious reader of romance novels and poems, Peppino, his hot-tempered and politically ambitious son, and Pietro, his sensitive and artistic grandchild. As time passes, introduced subplots include: corruption/mafia killings, Fascism, WWII and an uneasy political situation that grip postwar Italy.

The story feels very much like a disjointed narrative, with chapters that don’t quite flow naturally due in part to the constant and annoying fade in/out effect after every cornerstone event and comedic moments that contributed little to the main plot; in fact, to be honest, watching Baaria felt very much like flipping through a contrived stack of postcards. Perhaps it was the intention of the director to whet an appetite for nostalgia and cheap sentimentalism, but in any way, it wasn’t an ideal method for presenting a supposedly epic story about three interlocking families.

It isn’t hard to realize that Baaria is mostly a film steeped in realism – unnecessary scenes that were overtly abstract or metaphorical in nature came across off-putting and a tat pretentious. To add on, they break the momentum in places where the narrative was finally easing out of an uneasy tempo. Adding on, don’t expect the women to stand out very much: the story has, no surprises here, a strong masculine (and political) tone, but do expect a short (and sadly, disposable) cameo by sex goddess Monica Bellucci.

What is definitely commendable here is the creation of an atmosphere that feels extremely enchanting and authentic (even to a viewer who’s a stranger to Sicilian history) - saturated shots of bustling streets of a bygone era filled with fascist rallies, of an artist painting a church mural, scenes of men conversing in whispers about the government in a barber shop -, the backdrop to lives that comes across extremely foreign and yet, at the same time, visually stimulating. Many historical events in the movie were brilliantly shot, and succeeded in capturing the fiery spirit of a small resilient community hell-bent on independence. The music is also excellent here, and compliments the visual experience, and at times, proves to be comforting after listening to the characters’ incessant tirades and yelling.

Baaria is a deeply gorgeous movie that leaves you visually blown away, and yet, walking out of the theatre a little cheated. Why so? It is definitely a potential “must-watch” movie – however, it is also one that’s butchered by fairly weak characterization and muddled story developments that are further weakened by the main narrative’s uneasy pacing. Yes, it is nice to look at, but for 2 and a-half hours, you want substance, and less staring.

Movie Rating:



(A visual feast that leaves viewers feeling mostly empty)

Review by Casandra Wong